Why you should travel to Stockholm in winter
Max Mara’s creative director Ian Griffiths on his favourite galleries, restaurants and shopping in the Swedish capital.
Ian Griffiths has been at fashion house Max Mara for more than three decades and divides his time between Italy, London, Spain and his country retreat in Suffolk, England.
Founded by Achille Maramotti in 1951 in Reggio Emilia, Max Mara pioneered ready-to-wear fashion in Italy and became famous for its outerwear after Maramotti chose to transform a traditional men’s coat into a women’s version. As creative director, Griffiths has built on this legacy, with his own take on the famous camel coat, The Teddy, which recently celebrated its 10th birthday.
He designs three womenswear collections annually, including Resort, a summer-themed runway show that is set in a different country each year.
“Inspiration can come from anywhere,” he says. “I am very drawn to architectural, design and contemporary culture but I am really inspired by strong women down the ages. The wall adjacent to my desk is papered with portraits from Marilyn Monroe to Eileen Grey to Patti Smith, Nancy Pelosi and Lady Gaga. On the surface, there is nothing to connect them but they all fascinate me for their strength of character and refusal to conform to what they saw as redundant conventions.”
The designer says that every collection of his explores a theme or idea, and the sources can be quite diverse; though art, architecture and film are constant. “But what underlines it all is the Max Mara woman. She’s always there in my head when I’m working on a collection. I love her like a friend; I want only the best for her,” he says.
Griffiths, who studied architecture in Manchester before fashion at the Royal College of Art in London in the late 1980s, also loves people watching when he travels around the world. “Someone who puts their clothing together in a cool, original way,” he says of street fashion. “I get a lot of inspiration from being in cities around the world. The city is a melting pot for ideas. It is the place to catch the Zeitgeist.”
In January this year, Griffiths spent an extended period in Stockholm, Sweden, preparing for the Max Mara 2023 Resort collection, which was held in June. In the midst of a bleak Scandinavian winter, it was a challenge for him to imagine staging a show in 20 hours of daylight, under brilliant blue skies, and in balmy temperatures. The experience turned him into a big fan of the city – its shops, restaurants and museums.
“Winter is when you appreciate the genius of Scandinavian domestic architecture,” he says.
What to do in Stockholm in winter
Nationalmuseum is the national gallery of Sweden, located on the peninsula Blasieholmen in central Stockholm, and it has a very rich collection of European and Nordic art. I love the sculpture courtyard and neoclassical renderings of the gods of Nordic mythology.
In contrast, you can see original works by Carl and Karin Larsson showing their vision of the Swedish house. You can also see the incredible 16th-century royal ship Vasa without braving the elements as it’s housed in a covered space at the Vasa Museum.
What about getting outdoors?
If you’re adventurous or the weather is clement, try the open-air museum at Skansen on the island Djurgarden, which showcases Swedish culture, agriculture and folklore. Then buy a copy of Selma Lagerlof’s The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and read it by a roaring fire.
Where I shop in Stockholm
I could spend all day in the iconic design store called Svenskt Tenn, located in Strandvagen, which is on the waterfront in Stockholm. The most chic and original prints, historic designs by Josef Frank make you want to redecorate your own home.
And the office of the founder Estrid Ericson, who started the company in 1924, is like a monument to modern design and is flooded with colour and light.
Where I like to eat and stay
I love old-school restaurants wherever I go. Just show me the wood panelling and I start to drool. Prinsen in Stockholm was founded in 1897 with a beautiful arts and crafts interior and exactly the kind of food that I love: herring, potatoes caviar; simple and authentic.
I always stay at The Grand Hotel as it gets grandeur just right. It’s majestic but it feels like home.
My next destination
I can’t tell you that because I might be giving away the destination for a future Resort show. Now, whenever I visit somewhere new, everyone assumes I’m planning a show there, even when I go on vacation.
I was recently in Tokyo and Hong Kong and gave a lecture at The Hong Kong Design Institute. I love my job.
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